The governments plan to spread the civil service across the country will ease property pressures in Dublin and see many people return to their rural roots, reports Sinead O'Shea

The government’s budget curve-ball, its plans to decentralise the essential organs of the state, sounds great in theory. Civil servants from rural backgrounds get the chance to re-locate closer to home and avail of cheaper rural property prices, while long-neglected regions get a social and economic shot in the arm.

Meanwhile, the creaking infrastructure of the capital will get a little breathing space and the supply of second-hand property in Dublin will improve considerably. At first glance Charlie McCreevy’s pitch looked like it might produce a home run, but, as anyone who has ever dealt with government knows, the game isn’t that simple.

The success of the policy depends on the willingness of government employees to move in the first place. The Impact trade union, which represents about 6,000 civil servants, claimed that 80% of specialist staff in their membership don’t want to go. In the environment department, for example,